DPP bringing Advocates for Mario trial

DPP bringing Advocates for Mario trial

MANQOBA NXUMALO

Swazi Times Aug 12, 2009

MBABANE- The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) will be bringing South African Advocates for the soon-to- commence trial of political prisoner Mario Masuku.

Masuku has been in jail since November last year facing charges of terrorism or alternatively sedition in that he supported acts of terrorism by his utterances during the funeral of the late lawyer and political activist Musa MJ Dlamini.

The American Embassy long declared Masuku a prisoner of conscious.

Yesterday, DPP Mumcy Dlamini confirmed that she will be bringing the advocates to prosecute when the trial commences in September. The High Court Registrar has since slotted the trial to start next month and take a period of ten days.

The name of the judge that will try Masuku has not yet been named.

“Yes we are bringing in advocates and going to them as we speak,” was all Dlamini could say when asked by this newspaper if they were planning on bringing advocates.

In the summary of evidence against Masuku, the DPP states that Masuku went to a funeral of the late MJ and introduced himself as the President of PUDEMO. She states that at the funeral he told the mourners that MJ was a hero who had died for the liberation struggle of Swaziland. She adds that Masuku also told the mourners that as PUDEMO they would continue to bomb structures of the government. She has listed six witnesses that will lead evidence against him.

Masuku is represented by senior lawyers Paul Shilubane and Thulani Maseko.